Connector locking means



Feb. 3, 1970 A. A. GLOWACZ 7 3,493,917

CONN ECTQR LOCKING MEANS Filed Aug. 1, 1967 H615 AAUF/d/I/VA emu/462 INVENTOR United States Patent Oflice 3,493,917 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 3,493,917 CONNECTOR LOCKING MEANS Anthony A. Glowacz, Northridge, Calif., assignor to Viking Industries, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 657,568 Int. Cl. Hlllr 13/20 US. Cl. 339-74 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The pin of a pin and socket connector has a cylindrical shaft end portion of uniform cross-section and a portion remote from the end of reduced cross-section. A sleeve is slidingly received onto the reduced cross section portion of the pin. The socket includes a split-cylinder that is received onto the pin cylindrical shaft, the inner end surface of the split-cylinder being formed into a hook that lockingly engages a shoulder between the pin portions of different cross sections. To disconnect, the socket is moved further onto the pin thereby camming the hook onto the sleeve and permitting the socket to be withdrawn.

The present invention pertains generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to pin and socket connectors having individual locking means associated with pin and socket for retaining the connective attitude until aflirmative disconnection is accomplished.

Background of the invention Pin and socket connectors are commonly used with electric equipment of all kinds because of their rapid connectdisconnect capability. However, it is highly desirable that such connectors do not disconnect inadvertently since this not only terminates operation of the associated equipment, but also if high current is being carried by the connector at the time of the disconnection, destruction of the connector itself and/or associated electrical components can result. Of course, the attendant danger of destruction to apparatus on such disconnection increases as the current load being handled by the connector increases. For this reason, it is advisable particularly in the case of individual high current carrying pin and socket connectors to provide means of locking the connector in the connection attitude and which also require affirmative steps to produce disconnection.

It is therefore a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a pin and socket connector having a selectively actuatable locking means of improved character.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pin and socket connector having a unitarily related locking means. 1

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a locking means associated with a pin and socket connector which is manually manipulated to the locking and unlocking condition and without requirement of special locking and/or unlocking tools.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a pin and socket connector having locking means which are rapidly and easily opera-ted, and yet fully reliable in prevent-ing inadvertent disconnection of the connector.

Summary of the invention Briefly, the present invention includes a pin of a pin and socket connector having a first elongated surface of uniform cross-section dimension and an area of reduced cross-section dimension remotely from the end. An annular sleeve is received on the area of reduced dimension in sliding, the outer dimensions of which are the same as those of the larger cro-ss-section dimension of the pin. A splitsleeve socket is adapted for being received onto the larger cross-section area of the pin connector for establishing electrical contact therewith. The inner end surface of the split-sleeve socket is formed into a clasplike shoulder such that when the socket is received fully onto the pin the shoulder is lockingly received on an accommodating shoulder for-med between the areas of difieren-t cross-sectional dimensions of the pin. During connection, the forward portions of the socket move the sleeve beyond the end of the socket.

Removal of the socket from the pin is accomplished by further advancing the socket on the pin which cams the the end of the socket onto the outer surface of the annular sleeve. The socket can now be withdrawn from the Other objects, advantages and features of the inven tion will be apparent to those skilled in the art on reference to the following description when taken with the accompanying claims.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 2 showing the connector in locked connected relation.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the connector in the first stage of disconnection.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 5 showing the socket being withdrawn from the pin.

Brief description of a preferred embodiment :Reference is now made particularly to FIG. 1 in which there is shown the connector and locking means of the invention with the connector illustrated in disconnected condition. The connector includes generally a pin end 10 and a socket 1-1, which are electrically joined by the pin being received Within the appropriate hollow portions of the socket.

More particularly, the pin end includes an elongated cylindrical contact portion 12 having a smooth peripheral surface, the terminus of which is tapered as at 13 to proafiixed to a disc-like mounting hub 16, which is illustrated as anchored to a wall member 17. r

A connecting sleeve 18 is secured to the hub 16 on the other side of the wall member and electrically related to the pin end parts on the firstjside of the wall. A wire or cable 19 is secured within the sleeve 18 by any suitable conventional technique, such as soldering for example.

For use in locking and unlocking of the pin and socket in a manner that will be described later herein, a bandlike release sleeve, 20 is received onto the reduced diameter region 14. The bore ofthe sleeve 20 is such as to permit it to slide freely longitudinally on the pin region 14, while the outer diameter of the sleeve is the same as that of the contact portion 12. Moreover, the axial dimension of the sleeve relative to that of the region is such that when the inner end of the sleeve abuts against the hub 16 a gap exists between the outer sleeve end and the shoulder 15. On the other hand, when the sleeve is moved to abut against the shoulder 15, the peripheral surface area of the sleeve is co-extensive with the outer surface of the pin contact 12.

The socket 11 includes a hollow, split-cylinder 21 integrally constructed with a shank portion 22 having a cavity within which a cable or wire 23 is secured by soldering, crimping, or the like. More particularly, the split-cylinder has a plurality of longitudinal slots 24 separating wall portions of the cylinder into a corresponding plurality of tines 25. The relative dimensions of the pin 12 and opening of the split-cylinder are such that when mated the tines are extended radially outwardly thereby insuring through the inherent resiliency of the cylinder material of good bearing contact between the pin and socket. I

With reference now particularly to FIGURE 3, it is seen that the inner surface of the split-cylinder bore adjacent the open end thereof is formed into a hook-like clasp 26 that engages the shoulder 15 of the pin when the pin and socket are mated. Outwardly of the clasp, the inner end surface of the split-cylinder is chamfered as at 27. Accordingly, as the pin and socket are mated, the clasp 26 of the split-cylinder rides along the peripheral surface of the pin 12 until it reaches the reduced crosssection region 14, at which time it snaps into locking attitude behind the shoulder 15. Simultaneously, the chamfered surface 27 cams the release sleeve 20 forwardly toward the hub 16 until it abuts thereagainst. At this time the connector parts are locked to one another and reside in the condition illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Attention is directed to the additional space 28 between the tip 13 of the pin and the internal end wall of the cylinder 21, which space is important for unlocking of the connector as will be described.

To disconnect, the socket 11 is moved further in a direction toward the hub until the clasp 26 rides up onto the outer periphery of the release sleeve as depicted in FIGURE 4. At this time, the termina of the split-cylinder tines abut against the hub outer wall 16. The socket can now be withdrawn in the direction of the arrow in FIG- URE S, which, due to the sliding relation of the release sleeve 20 on the portion 14 moves the sleeve against the shoulder 15. Further withdrawing motion of the socket is possible due to the fact that the outer surface of the pin 12 and the sleeve 20 form a smooth co-extensive surface. Full disconnection can now be effected.

Although but one specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. This single embodiment has been selected for the purpose of illustration only and, therefore, .the invention should not be limited to the embodiment so selected.

I claim:

1. A pin and socket connector, comprising:

a pin contact including an elongated portion of first constant cross-sectional dimension and a second portion remote from the free end thereof of a second lesser cross-sectional dimension;

a hollow sleeve received onto the reduced cross-section portion in free sliding relationship, the outer dimensions of said sleeve being substantially the same as that of the elongated portion of constant cross-sectional dimension;

the juncture of the first and second cross-section dimensioned portions of the pin defining a shoulder;

the socket including a resilient hollow split-cylinder for receiving the pin contact therein, the inner end surface of the split-cylinder comprising a hook-like clasp the internal portions of which engage the shoulder and the external portions of which simultaneously engage the sleeve when the pin contact is received within the cylinder a first extent thereby locking the pin and socket to one another;

the internal wall surfaces of the hollow split-cylinder contacting the constant cross-sectional dimension portion of said pin contact during locking engagement of the pin and connector;

the internal reaches of the split-cylinder and the extent of the second cross-section dimension portion of the pin contact being such as to permit the splitcylinder to be forced further onto the pin contact camming the clasp onto the outer surface of the sleeve member and withdrawal of the pin from the socket.

2. A pin and socket connector as in claim 1, in which the pin contact is mounted on an enlarged hub, the pin contact portion of lesser cross-section dimension extending from the hub to the shoulder; and

the hollow sleeve having an axial length such that when the clasp lockingly engages the shoulder, the sleeve is disposed outwardly of the socket terminus and abutting against both the terminus and the hub.

3. A pin and socket connector as in claim 1, in which the inner surface of the split-cylinder outwardly of the clasp is charnfered and said chamfered surface contacts the sleeve during locking engagement of the connector parts.

4. A pin and socket connector, comprising:

an elongated pin contact having a first portion of uniform circular cross-sectional area and a second portion of a lesser cross-sectional area;

an enlarged hub secured to the end of the pin contact of lesser cross-sectional area;

a sleeve slidingly received on the pin contact second portion of longitudinal extent less than the longi tudinal extent of said second portion;

a hollow socket having resilient inner end members for being received onto the pin contact, the inner surface of the end members having backwardly di rected shoulders for being lockingly received onto the shoulder of the pin contact formed between the first and second portions, at which time the sleeve is disposed outwardly of the socket and contacting end portions of the socket and the hub;

the inner surface of the hollow socket inwardly of the shoulders contacting a major surface area of said pin contact first portion; and

the internal cavity of the socket at the time of locking engagement with the pin contact including an additional space beyond the pin contact terminus whereby the connector is movable further onto the pin contact camming the socket onto the outer surface of the sleeve and moving the internal shoulder of the socket beyond the reaches of the shoulder on the pin contact to produce disconnection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner 

